Your Empress, My Empress
by FreakGenius
Summary: "So will you pour the wine or shall I?" she wrestled back the wince that was threatening. Even a deaf man could hear the strain in her voice. "Whichever you prefer." Xena replied. Setting the fruit tray at Gabrielle's feet. "I am the guest in your bedchamber after all." the sentence shot a chill down them both for some reason.


**Disclaimer: Xena: Warrior Princess doesn't belong to me. In any way shape or form. **

**For those who may not have reached that far into the series, this delves a bit into the episode "When Fates Collide" in season 6. It's nothing too major, but this is just a fair warning. I loved the all around mood and intensity throughout the entire episode and couldn't help but explore the little comment Alti made near the beginning about having an 'Interesting Vision" of Xena and Gabrielle. And this is basically what this oneshot is about. Which is why Xena and Gabrielle act the way they do in this story. But enough of my babbling. You care about the girls. Onward!**

**xx**

A breeze sent the light silk of the Empress's night clothes fluttering as she stepped out onto the balcony. Light chills pebbled her skin from the cold stone beneath her feet and her flesh glowed under the moonlight.

The Empress gazed over her people as she leaned over the railing, brows slightly gathered; crowning a mind that was endlessly contemplating.

Caesar was growing restless from the many nights she'd denied him her body. An event that initially only surfaced in occasion until the time in between began to dwindle and the nights deprived of their lovemaking accumulated. Caesar displayed patience each time, setting his lips in silent acceptance before sulking away to busy himself with business matters. But it took more than a practiced demeanor to sufficiently clothe the desire tightening within him, especially from Xena. Reading people was one of the many skills in her repertoire that made her such a fierce commander of Rome's army. And perhaps even a fierce lover, whose absence in bed was beginning to trouble her husband.

She'd planned to grant Caesar respite. Even planned to initiate, something that had also been long buried in silent nights.

He'd announced a gift to be presented in the evening; a play from Athens.

"I thought you'd appreciate a taste of your own culture."

He was considerate, but the hidden undertone still rang to the Empress; Caesar was hoping to be rewarded with her company.

It became apparent then just how long it had been. For Caesar to pluck out entertainment outside of Rome with the hopes of finally sharing their bed. She decided to grant her husband his long deprived wishes right then, to offer her pleasures right there in the office. Brutus interrupted before Xena could initiate, however, followed closely by two men with the weary look of travel upon their expressions.

"Emissaries from Chin. I'd hope your voyage didn't prove too troublesome." Caesar regarded his wife then, a light squeeze pressed to her hip. "I have to speak to them now."

Xena nodded, offering the same to Brutus upon her exit.

_'After the play then'_ she thought to herself. But the evening held different intentions for the Empress.

The play was riveting. It caressed her soul in a way never felt before. And it was strangely familiar. As if she'd had a hand in the events, perhaps even lived them. The light sense of familiarity loomed over the Empress throughout the performance as more and more of it gently plucked at memories she wasn't sure were even her own. She observed, enthralled and slightly perplexed, as the actors melded with their characters. Strumming a note of whispering memories deep behind Xena's mind with each well-delivered line. At the ending, Xena was the first to stand. She blotted the tears from her eyes with a handkerchief as one of the actors introduced the playwright that orchestrated this piece of work that seemed to brush at the surface of some long forgotten recollections.

Despite being present a fleeting amount of time the playwright's appearance stole the entire show for Xena. Her vigorously clapping hands stilled, tingling with sprouting sweat as she watched the golden-haired woman breeze onstage with a smile outshining even the blinding houselights illuminating her. The once hovering blanket of familiarity finally fell upon Xena's being as the beaming playwright gave a graceful wave to the audience and bowed with the cast. Confounded by her presence, Xena tossed a rose lain about the railing of her seat to the playwright's feet and watched with rapt interest as the woman knelt and retrieved a bouquet from the stage. Her eyes fluttered as she pressed it to her nose.

Xena's heart clenched when the woman turned toward her balcony to bow at her hosts. The warmth of her smile consumed the Empress, lighting her chest in soft rays of sun.

_'I must speak with her.'_

There could be no way around it. It would be beyond unacceptable to let the evening fade without meeting this stunning creature whose work felt so familiar and whose smile warmed her so.

Xena couldn't place just where the nerves had come from as they swarmed around her, taxing her limbs as she approached. She was grateful for the goblet of wine she'd taken on her way over, sipping a generous amount before introducing herself. The first thing that greeted her was that warm beam that, from up close, seemed to envelope her entire being in an innocence she'd never experienced. Yet, just like the play, felt intimately familiar.

Electricity surged through the Empress as she listened to the playwright's voice. She hung on every word, raptly invested in hearing every story and enjoying every giggle offered by this magnificent woman. She was magnetic, drawing the Empress close with the nearly tangible warmth of her presence, luring her with the soft caress of her voice.

Xena noticed the woman's stare constantly taking a shy dip toward the floor before each giggle the Empress quite proudly evoked. For a split second Xena restrained the urge to bring a finger below her chin and gently lifting until their eyes met. She wasn't sure of what reaction she'd receive, and frankly she hadn't enough nerve to do such a thing. Xena found the subtle bashfulness quite endearing anyhow.

"In the third act you had your hero throw himself over the cliff with no fear of dying..." every muscle surged with life as Xena gazed into a compelling cerulean stare. A light coat of sweat moistened her palms and her heart drummed a rhythm just above average into her ears. The blanket of familiarity caressed her soul now, threatening to meld with it and becoming reality. "All for her.."

Xena could nearly _feel_ how deeply those eyes were venturing into her own, almost searching for something. Something not lost, but hidden. Like a precious treasure tucked away for safekeeping until its owner returned again.

The playwright searched with such a certainty.

What treasure of hers could possibly be lurking in the Empress's eyes? She'd never even met her in any other event to _place_ it there to begin with. And yet that disarming gaze continued to sift as the woman's smile remained in place, rendering it nearly impossible for the Empress to refrain from stuttering throughout their entire conversation.

"Do you really believe that love exists?" Xena asked, absently drawing ever closer in her engaging interest.

"That's what we all dream about, isn't it?" she asked. Pausing as her stare delved deeper into Xena's being, searching, prodding. The Empress felt her all over. "Someone who looks so deeply into our soul that," the playwright's lashes lightly fluttered, something solidified in her eyes. Her shoulders visibly relaxed with a wave of affirmation that soothed over her entire body. A gentle smile overtook the woman's face again, sending phantom electricity up Xena's arm. "They'd find something worth dying for.."

Perhaps speech had decided to abandon her, or maybe that smile had finally managed to render her at a loss for words for the Empress fell silent. Unable to muster any sentences as she stared down into deep gems and listened to her rapid heartbeat.

Moist palms ached to reach out. Xena snuffed the urge immediately, about to dare another step forward before a rough hand slid over her own.

"Excuse me." Caesar interjected, a polite smile painted about his stoic face. Xena saw the bewitching eyes before her flicker to Caesar's hand, slightly dimming. The woman turned to regard him fully. "Your play was... Riveting. Well done. Thank you."

Had she not been intrigued by the effortless beam this playwright had offered then, Xena would have rolled her eyes; Caesar was close to sleep the entire play.

"The army will be expecting us first thing in the morning." it wasn't until the playwright regarded her once again–in waiting perplexion–that Xena realized Caesar was addressing her.

Reluctance seeped into the Empress then, they hadn't spent nearly as much time together as she'd hoped and the idea of leaving so soon surged the slightest of regrets within her. How long would this woman be in Rome? Would she be leaving by the new day? Would she ever return? Xena thought to ask her aloud but decided against it, what an oddity it would be in front of her husband.

With a bitter coat of looming regret upon her tongue Xena instead bid the playwright goodbye. "Thank you for honoring Rome with your play, Gabrielle." Xena wasn't sure if the plea in her eyes was shining through, imploring Gabrielle to make her stay.. to insist on continuing just a bit longer. Something in her gaze said she saw it, but intrigued perplexity merely blossomed upon her beautiful features. "Goodnight." Xena murmured then, offering a slight smile and debating whether or not to reach out and squeeze Gabrielle's hand. Caesar had taken her away before she could come to a decision, and so she departed with the feverish electricity of Gabrielle's gaze enveloping every inch of her being as they walked away.

The Empress released a heavy sigh as she returned to the present, watching her people walk up and down the dirt streets. There weren't too many of them going about for the night was aging and the moon was nearly at its highest. A cold chill slithered through Xena's night clothes and she rubbed a hand against her arm to keep warm, feeling the light coat of sweat that had accumulated in her palms. Curious, the Empress assessed her hands and let loose a breath of slight astonishment.

_'Just the mere thought of her..'_

Why this woman effected her so was lost on Xena. She never felt so exposed in the presence of a stranger before, never felt it to that extend in the presence of _anyone_ for that matter. In all her days of heading Rome's army and engaging in the fiercest of combat no one had ever unraveled her nor ever delved so deeply into her being with the simplest look quite like Gabrielle. Not even Caesar came close to it.

He would go another night without Xena in their bed for after that short conversation her thoughts were only of Gabrielle and the thick air of intrigue that saturated anyone in her presence. And the disarming smile that could sooth the fiercest beasts into tranquility but sent the Empress's heart aflutter. A wave of electricity ghosted through her. She closed her robes tight around herself.

Movement in her peripheral caught Xena's attention. Of its own accord, Xena's gaze rose to a figure yards away. Nerves surged through her chest and down her arms as she watched Gabrielle saunter out of her balcony. She was bare save for the lightest of sheets held around herself with a delicate hand. The light complexion of her skin was pristine porcelain under the moon's kiss and her golden hair was brushed a gentle shade lighter, the ends feathering her shoulders. The woman scanned the people below, observing Rome's people as she tightened the supple sheet around her breasts.

With a tightening chest and a wakening heartbeat Xena stumbled back into the shadows of her bedchamber, pressing herself against the cool surface of the entrance doorway. It felt safe in the shadows, free of the chance of catching Gabrielle's eye should she look up from the city. Although it wasn't long until her magnetism drew Xena back into the glowing night, feet doing as they pleased and luring the Empress back to the cold stone railing of her balcony. She marveled at the woman's effortless beauty, highlighted under the gentle glow of the moon. Xena's hands moistened all over again and when the pair of rich blue eyes lifted from below to settle squarely into her confounded stare, the strongest burst of life electrified her flesh.

Even with so much distance between them the Empress became slowly undone. Enraptured by the woman's stare and rendered speechless by her indescribable beauty. A hint of shock surfaced in Gabrielle's expression and she absently squeezed the silk tighter around herself. A bashful flush was illuminated by the moon and the playwright bumbled a shy grin before bowing her head and sulking back into her chambers.

Xena stared long after her departure, sweaty palms clutching the cold railing as her eyes remained fixed to Gabrielle's previous spot. It wasn't long until her stiff fingers began drumming out a ragged and furious rendition of her scrambled thoughts against the stone. After a seemingly endless debate the Empress shoved off of the balcony railing and marched into her bedchambers to change into more appropriate clothing.

Gabrielle was in the palace; housed in one of their many guest chambers. Xena knew which one, and as she sifted through her wardrobe for an appropriate dress she rattled off the many excuses she could offer when she would knock on the playwright's door.

Xena passed the balcony exit on her way out, missing a silk enveloped figure shyly venturing back out into the moonlight.

XXXX

How long had she been standing out here? It couldn't have been more than a minute. But the furious rhythm in her head and the waves of nerves throughout her skin stretched time longer than normal. Xena lifted her knuckles to the large door and hesitated before letting her hand fall. She gathered a steadying breath and released it with a great gust and wiped her palms against her dress before sucking everything up and giving three solid raps to Gabrielle's guest chamber.

A fresh wave of nerves flushed through when a polite, "Just a minute." called from the other side and time slowed down ten times over as the Empress awaited.

It seemed as if hours went by until the heavy door creaked open, hours that proved too short for when Gabrielle's delicate figure peaked through, Xena found her breathing a bit difficult to contain. The playwright gazed in silence from beneath curled bangs. Xena quickly gathered herself and painted a practiced smile upon her lips as she watched pleasant surprise liven Gabrielle's expression.

"Hello," Xena greeted as her hands retreated behind her back to clasp together tightly. She quickly found there were no words, other than her first, coming to mind. The excuses she had brainstormed had all become scrambled thought and quite frankly even the most minute of solid sentences were quickly lost on the Empress. Xena briefly frowned at how close to flailing this woman was rendering her. She never flailed, not even in the most dire battles. Nor in the presence of relentless warlords in competition for Rome. But this woman, this harmless and innocent young woman was playing a hand in her unraveling.

Xena expected nerves to consume her but the calming patience of Gabrielle's polite eyes soothed her muscles to lax a fraction. With a heavy breath through her nostrils Xena decided the truth would be most effective.

"I couldn't tear myself away from the idea of seeing you again." Xena's hands relaxed behind her hips, yes.. honesty would most definitely suffice. It came with a sort of liberation. And it seemed no matter how well dressed Xena's intentions could be, Gabrielle would simply peal back every layer until only the bare truth remained. "Our separation felt a bit abrupt earlier. There's so much more I wished to speak with you about."

Subtle nerves crept up the playwright's throat and imprisoned her tongue as she made to reply. Xena proved to have an aura of intensity emanating from her, something she first felt when the Empress caught her eye for the first time after the play. And something that solidified when the rich thrum of her voice first graced her ears. And those piercing blue eyes.. Gabrielle couldn't bring herself to stare too long without a timid glance down for the fear of becoming undone. Xena was glorious, being in her presence was both humbling and exhilarating. But being the full focus of her penetrating gaze was something Gabrielle still hadn't become accustomed to. Especially as she stood with no thicker a barrier than a simple silken robe wrapped loosely at her breasts. She held the garment taught around herself, an action that felt fruitless for the way Xena watched her made it feel as if she wore nothing at all. A sharp shiver forced through her delicate flesh and the playwright had to clear her throat to gather herself.

Xena mistook Gabrielle's silent discomfort as rejection and the bright light in her eyes ebbed a fraction. Xena shifted on her feet. "I uh, suppose I may have overstepped a line. My apologies. I hope I didn't interrupt from your night too terribly." Xena turned to leave, unable to register the put off look in Gabrielle's expression. After a single step a delicate hand clasped firmly around the Empress's wrist and fierce tongues of electricity pulsed up her arm so intense that it fluttered Xena's breath and sent another shiver down Gabrielle's spine.

Both women stared at their joined flesh, silently marveling at the thick waves of heat pulsing from it. Xena was the first to recover, tearing her gaze from Gabrielle's hand to regard her face. The very back of her mind absently mused that this was the first time they'd physically connected.

"No." Gabrielle said, a looming hint of pleading in her supple voice. "You haven't interrupted anything. Please, do come inside." her hand squeezed of its own accord as she tugged the Empress inside the chamber and the intense sensations in her flesh screamed with nostalgia upon releasing her toned forearm.

Gabrielle hadn't intended to lead her toward the bed but her movements weren't her own. She found herself patting the plush sheets upon her mattress, offering a small smile to Xena before padding into the other room.

"Excuse me for a moment." she said as the Empress climbed onto her bed. Gabrielle dipped into the wardrobe room with a hint of hurry, tearing herself from watching Xena settle into the plush sheets for fear of her body's reaction.

Gabrielle inhaled deeply as she opened the large closet against the far wall and let the silk around her body pool at her feet. The night air nipped at her flesh slightly and the dying tingles still skimming across her skin gave her goosebumps as she fished for a thin gown to slip into. Nerves tightened her chest as she slid the fabric on, entering the bedchamber once again, sliding the straps onto her shoulders.

Gabrielle paused at the archway, registering Xena's able figure through thick veils of crimson draped around the bed. The Empress settled in the middle of the mattress, the gleam of her long strong legs glistened in the candlelight when she crossed them causing her dress to ride up just the slightest. Gabrielle's words caught in her throat as Xena leaned back against the headboard and draped a hand about her hip.

Piercing blue eyes flickered to her. The playwright cleared her throat and wrestled down the shiver crawling up her spine.

"Would you care for some wine?" offered Gabrielle. Certain that if Xena didn't accept, she would simply have the bottle all for herself; the room was beginning to suffocate in the most intriguing of ways.

Xena nodded, smiling. "Yes please." her deeper tone reverberating around the room and engrossing Gabrielle in its essence.

She retrieved two goblets and a bottle from the great platter that was sent up to her room a few minutes before. And as an afterthought, grabbed a tray of fruit and honey before heading for the bed. Gabrielle prayed to the many gods that she didn't make a slip. The tray was proving a bit on the heavy side and the bottle and goblets in her other hand were beginning to stir. One thing she didn't need happening tonight was to embarrass herself before royalty. And this absent fear must have been written all over her face for when she drew near enough, Xena crawled toward her. The hint of cleavage that slipped out then nearly made the playwright stumble and the consuming effect Xena's expression contained upon her approach provoked a shudder. The tray in Gabrielle's hand clinked but strong hands stilled it before relieving her of its weight altogether.

"Thanks." Gabrielle mumbled. Xena merely nodded, smirking as she took the wine as well and rose up on her knees to balance herself. The unintentional movement brought Gabrielle level with the Empress's chest. Her breath fluttered as her eyes roamed low, catching a glimpse of the strong woman's abdomen through the thin material of her dress in the candlelight. Xena's body heat caressed Gabrielle's flesh most pleasantly. She had to swallow thickly to recover.

Blinking furiously, Gabrielle tore her sights away and climbed onto the bed with goblets in hand. "So will you pour the wine or shall I?" she wrestled back the wince that was threatening. Even a deaf man could hear the strain in her voice.

Xena observed as Gabrielle settled in the center of the mattress stiffly, pressing her knees against her chest and wrapping her arms tightly around them. Her eyes remained low. At first the Empress merely watched, intrigued, before an enamored grin splayed across her lips.

"Whichever you prefer." Xena replied. Setting the fruit tray at Gabrielle's feet. "I am the guest in your bedchamber after all." the sentence shot a chill down both of them for some reason, both women hid it gracefully.

Gabrielle released a laugh laced with nerves. "I'm hardly the host here. This is your palace." but she took the bottle anyway and uncorked it. The air was feeling tighter with each passing moment and she needed to loosen up before exploding. "So what did you want to talk about?"

It felt a lot less tense when it wasn't silent, as if their voices helped quell the exposing nature of the air they shared.

"You." the Empress stated simply, taking the goblet offered to her and drinking generously. _Sweet relief_. Gabrielle was much more subtle.

Gabrielle peered airily over the rim of her cup. The gleam of the candlelight making her eyes smolder enticingly. Xena swallowed hard. "Hadn't I spoken enough about myself earlier in the evening?" she asked after her graceful sip.

Xena nodded. Sights flickering to the bundle of grapes draped over one side of the fruit tray between them. She plucked one and dipped it in honey, glad that Gabrielle had brought it; it served a great distraction from her disarming stare.

"Yes well.." Xena popped the grape in her mouth. "I'd like to hear more." cerulean eyes flickered down to watch her tongue run over a honey-coated lip.

This time when she drank, Gabrielle wasn't as graceful. "Why is that?"

Xena shrugged, feeling the effects of her drink sooth her a tad. "You interest me."

There was a brief pause from the playwright. She was searching again, and it was heating Xena's skin to flames. "That's doubtful." Gabrielle said, a gentle flush skimming her cheeks. She was much more prone to the wine than Xena, who never flushed until her eighth cup. "I'm just a playwright. I live a simple life, certainly my stories couldn't hold a torch beside one of even your most basic endeavors."

"My endeavors are full of violence and death. I've put many men to the sword in my days like any warlord. But because I do so in the name of Rome my actions are deemed heroic. And my people love me for it." Xena took another swig of wine. Sucking the taste from her bottom lip afterward. Gabrielle collected a deep breath. "To hear of your life and the good you spread to people, to hear of actions actually _deserving _of the love you've accumulated, that interests me."

"Still," Gabrielle gently insisted. "I'd like to learn more about you, if you don't mind."

Xena grinned. "Of course not. What would you like to know?"

Perhaps it was an effect of the wine or the light sense of delirium the room had her in when Gabrielle loosely asked, "Do you often use your compelling beauty on the battlefield? It's impossible to ignore, I'd imagine it serves quite the distraction."

Xena opened her mouth to reply, pausing when the question truly sunk in. She blinked and gave a small chortle. Crystal eyes widened brilliantly when the playwright fully comprehended what she'd said. "I, uh.. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so–"

"It's alright,"

Xena silenced her with a grin, placing a hand over the woman's own reflexively and visibly stiffening when the peal of electricity sparked across her flesh. Both women fell silent for a few beats. The way Gabrielle stared at their hands made Xena begin to retract, fearing she'd overstepped her boundaries. But just as she tugged away, delicate fingers closed around her stronger ones. The livewires licking at their skin sparked and intensified, crawling up to Xena's neck and sending the little hairs there at full height. Something felt deliciously forbidden about the touch; deception laced in chocolate. What would Caesar think of all of this? She couldn't bring herself to care. So much exhilaration coursed through her from this most innocent sin.

Gabrielle cleared her throat, eyes dipping toward the bowl of fruit between them. Xena decided to grant the woman respite. "I'm flattered." the deepened shade of pink that colored Gabrielle's cheeks then wasn't from the wine, Xena could tell that much. And it coaxed an enamored elation within the Empress. "But your beauty definitely doesn't go unnoticed either."

A thick silence enveloped them both as their eyes met for the hundredth time, conversing on such a deeper plain that they themselves weren't even aware of. The only hints of this secret communication were the unignorable sensations surging through them and the lurking magnetism that drew them closer just a breath with each passing moment.

"To answer your question," Xena said. "Sometimes I do." the sly grin she gave lit Gabrielle's nerve endings alight. The playwright became hypnotized, lost in the becoming presence before her and had to blink rapidly to bring herself to reality. The slightest huff of exasperation escaped her lips then as she picked out a strawberry from the bowl and dipped it in honey. Noting every single lick of fire running across her skin as she felt piercing eyes watching her.

Gabrielle nodded. "I figured so." she said, wiping excess honey off the lip of its bowl. "If you could have such an effect on me, I could only imagine what you could do to hot blooded men."

"Such an effect on you?" Xena repeated, curious. Lashes fluttering, heart delirious from the steady current of hot electricity shooting out of their joined hands. Equally delirious, Gabrielle simply nodded. Taking the strawberry into her mouth as Xena watched, engrossed. "What effect is this?"

The Empress patiently waited as Gabrielle chewed and swallowed. A small dab of honey still glistened in the corner of her mouth. "It's only been a short time, but I become... overwhelmed." It was clear in the playwright's eyes that there was far more to it, but the Empress allowed this; reluctant to prod too deep. "And what about you? What's my effect on you?"

Xena visibly shrugged back, pleasantly surprised by the confidence brewing deep beneath the surface of Gabrielle's query. Wine and emotions were stretching inside of them. "Who ever said you had an effect on me?"

Gabrielle looked up, peering through her lashes with a coy grin threatening at her lips. The almost haughty self assurance in Gabrielle's stare sent a stroke of heat down Xena's core and resonated warmly between her legs. The slight glassy texture of her eyes hinted at the very presence of alcohol. "You did."

Xena blinked, "I did?" Trying to ignore the single throb that ghosted in her center.

"The way you look at me. It's too gentle a look for someone who's been through so much violence. Certainly not a look quickly offered to enemies."

The Empress looked to Gabrielle's lips. Interested in the very corner of them and the honey that glistened there. "No I must admit I don't look upon my foes with this.. 'Gentle look' you're talking about." a small grin tugged at Xena's lips. "You've got a little um.."

Gabrielle licked at the spot indicated, missing the dab by just a hair. Xena chuckled, directing her again and silently swooning at the endearingly disgruntled expression that began to shape. Just as Gabrielle finally found the spot with her tongue, Xena offered to wipe it off herself but was stilled with a polite hand before the playwright gathered the honey onto a finger herself. The amused grin etched across the Empress's face melted into rapt attention as Gabrielle took the digit into her mouth.

Licks of electric fire veered from their circular path throughout Xena's body and descended to her center once again. A small flame flickered to life. Gabrielle retracted a gleaming finger before sucking the remains from her lips. An action hung on every movement by the Empress. Xena busied her drying mouth with a gulp of wine.

"You didn't answer my question." Gabrielle said curiously, oblivious of the reaction she'd provoked. "What effect do I have on you?"

Xena swallowed hard, catching her lip stiffly between her teeth before releasing with a loud smack. "A strong one." the look Gabrielle gave her silently prodded for more but the playwright didn't push too far, figuring that the woman would shut down if she began to feel overwhelmed.

So she simply accepted the answer. Nodding before allowing her gaze to drop down again, this time with a hint of disappointment. The room fell silent but screamed with unspoken words and all but exploded with the steady stream of bolts traded between them from that simple touch upon their hands.

Regret twisted within the Empress and without permission to do so, her body did what she'd yearned to do in the theatre during their first conversation together and cupped the playwright by the chin–trembling as fresh waves of energy coursed through the touch–and gently lifted her delicate face until cerulean eyes aligned with a pair of piercing orbs.

"Tell me a poem."

It was a random request, especially coming from a woman of Xena's valor. Poetry seemed hardly anything she'd be remotely interested in. And this idea was written plain as day about Gabrielle's disgruntled face. Xena laughed.

"I know." the Empress said in response. Thumb absently caressing Gabrielle and earning the lightest flutter of her lashes. "Please?"

Gabrielle's unspoken assumption was correct, poetry wasn't something that interested the Empress. At least not too greatly. However, it wasn't the recital that she was looking forward to but the tangible warmth and spiritual demeanor the playwright would surely embody. It was only a theory at this point, for Xena hadn't witnessed the woman's performance, nor was even sure if she dabbled in the art. Instinct implied it however, and she couldn't help but test it.

"Alright." Gabrielle relented. Taking a sip of wine. Xena released her chin and watched an air of yearning pass over the woman's face at the retraction. "But only if you recite one in return."

The Empress was taken aback, a hint of shock weighing down her eyebrows. "But I don't know any.."

Gabrielle narrowed her eyes with a knowing grin. "Oh I'm sure you'll come up with something." it wasn't the confidence that intrigued the Empress, but the complete faith the woman had poured into her with that simple comment. And she found there was indeed something she knew, a poem that she hadn't known the point of until now.

"Ok, you've got a deal."

After assessing the Empress's expression and being satisfied with what she found there, Gabrielle cleared her throat and sat up straighter.

Her voice became the wind and wafted the softness of flowers upon Xena's skin.

_"Some celebrate the beauty of knights, or infantry, or billowing flotillas at battle on the sea."_ Xena hadn't noticed Gabrielle begun searching again, for this time she too had begun sifting for the treasure lurking somewhere in those eyes. Buried in the bright and innocent light of them. Waiting to be found. _"Warfare has its glory. But I place far above these military splendors the one thing that you love."_ Xena's theory had proven correct, the playwright lost herself in the beauty of her poem. She emanated a warmth so present and a beauty so stunning that it was impossible not to be lost in it. Soon she wasn't searching for her treasure, but being led to it by the purity of the soul housed there. _"As love then is the power that none can disobey, so too my thoughts must follow my darling far away: the sparkle of her laughter would give me greater joy than all bronze-clad heroes."_

The women fell silent, but their bodies shouted restlessly. Bonded by the bolts they shared and the looks imprisoning them both, Xena and Gabrielle lost sight of time and space. Aware of only the warmth of each other's company and the electric fire bursting between them in this candlelight illuminated bed chamber.

"Beautiful.."

It was all the Empress could muster. Not from the poetry but the poet. Whose presence glowed brilliantly with elation of sharing her art. It was impossible to say Gabrielle didn't love what she did. For as she immersed herself in her craft it seemed as though she was bare until only her soul shone through. And what a beautiful soul it was.

Xena's gaze solidified. A current of affirmation surged through her then, of what she wasn't sure, but the wholeness in her chest implied it wasn't something malicious.

"It is.." Gabrielle agreed airily. Lost in depths of deep ocean and the astonished beauty of a woman defined. "Very much so."

It wasn't long until both parties became aware of their dwindled proximity. The soft breeze of their breath caressed each other, sending soft feathers of fire upon their skin.

"It's your turn."

Xena nodded absently. Hypnotized. "This isn't my work.." she started out.

"That's alright. Neither was mine."

"It wasn't?"

Gabrielle shook her head. "It was written by Sappho. My favorite poet. And my favorite poem."

"Your love for it shines through very clearly." Xena said. "Sappho herself couldn't have recited it any better. Nor with as much beauty." the sincerity deeply rooted in Xena's voice made Gabrielle blush, eyes dropping again.

Xena lifted her head in the same fashion as before. "Like I said this isn't my work." she breathed, her words teasing the playwright's lips with airy kisses. "I'd heard it long ago from a bard back in Greece. It was mere ranting to me. I didn't understand its significance until recently. When I met someone that showed me what he meant."

This time Xena's hand remained in place, gently cradling the playwright's face.

"It was not the Calvary, or the infantry..." Xena began. Absorbed in the eyes before her and merrily drowning in the insistent current roaming beneath her skin. "Or even the navy, but another strange kind of army that destroyed me." the silent tug nudging them together gave a heave, drawing Xena's lips ever closer. "Striking me down with her eyes."

A light, lilting laugh warmed the Empress's mouth then as Gabrielle silently marveled at her beauty. Poetry agreed with Xena, but something told the playwright that this sort of perspective was only granted to a limited number of people.

"That was amazing." Gabrielle praised. Words forming the smallest bridge to Xena's lips. "Poetry suits you."

But they were lost on the Empress for she'd given into the silent pull that had taxed her muscles. Her fingers ventured up from Gabrielle's chin and cupped her soft cheek. The lightest brush of their lips sparked throughout their muscles.

"Empress.." Gabrielle breathed, covering Xena's hand above her cheek.

"Xena." she said, mouth skimming against Gabrielle's deliciously. "Call me Xena."

A shaky breath escaped her then as she placed her forehead against the Empress, nodding. Her eyes fluttered shut. "Xena."

Gabrielle spoke it with absent familiarity; coming home after a long journey. And it was devoured by the woman's kiss.

**xx**

**The Sappho poem I actually got off the internet but I took a chunk out of the middle to keep it short. Xena's poem as well. Thanks for stopping by! Review if you'd like to share any thoughts!**


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